


Celebration

by turnipdad



Series: JanuRWBY Collection [17]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Canonical Character Death, F/F, JanuRWBY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28819155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turnipdad/pseuds/turnipdad
Summary: Birthdays are memorable events, and Blake remembers all of them, good and bad.JanuRWBY Day 17: Blake's Birthday
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Series: JanuRWBY Collection [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086875
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	Celebration

**Author's Note:**

> Happy early Birthday, Blake!
> 
> Content Warning: Description of Stabbing

On her 10th birthday, Blake celebrates her first champagne birthday.

Unlike humans, a faunus’ champagne birthday occurs every 10 years. In paint matching a faunus’ aura, branching antlers are drawn on the face and curved patterns resembling ram horns are drawn along the arms. Representing the Brothers, it’s a celebration of living to the cusp of adulthood, and to the triumph of adulthood for the many years to come.

Her mother spends the evening painting the celebratory symbols onto her skin. Slow, delicate strokes make the patterns look textbook-perfect, and once she announces that she’s done, Blake rushes to the back of their home, eager to join her father and the others outside.

Blake saw the huge tuna that her father hauled to the backyard’s fire pit and can only dream of what other dishes the locals and her friends have brought.

When Blake steps outside with her mother, she’s greeted with splendor. People spend the night showering her with gifts and luring her into trying every dish and dessert available.

Surrounded by loved ones and with a full stomach, Blake can’t wait for next champagne birthday.

* * *

On her 18th birthday, Blake celebrates it with her friends.

They’re in the library studying, procrastinating by discussing Ruby’s birthday from months ago when they stop to consider which one of theirs is next.

“My birthday is May 15th,” Weiss says.

“I’m July 28th,” Yang adds.

Everyone at the table stares at Blake as she tells them hers.

“Mine is January 19th.”

“That’s two days from now!” Ruby yells.

Her teammates shouting gets them kicked out of the library. While walking around campus, looking for another spot to study, Team RWBY strategizes.

“Blake, you should have told us sooner! We could have planned something,” Ruby whines.

“It’s not a big deal, don’t worry about it,” Blake reassures her.

“But this your 18th birthday, we have to do something special!” Yang cheers, with Ruby and Weiss adding their support. 

“Please don’t make a big deal out of this. I’d prefer if nothing big happened,” Blake mutters, embarrassed with all the attention directed at her.

The next day comes and goes, and as she closes her eyes the night before her birthday, Blake wonders if her team listened to her request.

Upon opening her eyes, Blake sees that her team is already awake. But with no loud fanfare, they simply wish her a happy birthday.

During classes, JNPR offer their wishes as well, and throughout the day, other classmates give theirs.

At the end of their last class of the day, Blake stays behind to ask a question. Upon returning to her desk, Blake finds that her friends have disappeared, with only a note resting atop of the desk. Opening the note, Blake recognizes Weiss’s penmanship, and reads the instructions telling her to go to the courtyard. Sighing, Blake pockets the note and walks, trying to imagine what scheme her friends have come up with.

Turning the corner, Blake is greeted with shouts and a bark.

“Happy Birthday, Blake!”

Blake said she didn’t want anything big, but the seven people and corgi crammed around the small table lure her in. Several dishes surround a fish-shaped cake, and a small present is handed to her as she reaches them.

“I know you didn’t want anything big, but a little party can’t hurt, right?” Yang asks.

Blake’s embarrassed to admit it, but she missed having parties. There not as grand as the ones she’s had as a child, but surrounded by her friends, all of them working together with the simple desire to make her happy, fills Blake with a warm feeling.

It’s been a long time since Blake’s had a birthday party, but she secretly looks forward to whatever future ones will be held as the night goes on.

* * *

On her 19th birthday, Blake kills Adam Taurus.

With the rush to get the relic to Atlas, Blake knows that she wouldn’t be having much of birthday this year.

But Adam’s sick vengeance, the idea that he needs to right the wrong that Blake cast upon him, makes Blake’s stomach churn.

Innocent bystanders are killed at the relay tower. Gambol Shroud, the weapon she created with her own hands in a small Menagerie smithy, is destroyed. And if she doesn’t do something soon, she’s going to end up dead, where no one will ever find her.

Yang somehow finds them, and she helps push Adam away. But he won’t stand down.

Throughout the fight, Blake wishes that for once in his life, Adam would back down. Because if he doesn’t, Blake doesn’t know how this is going to end without somebody’s blood spilling.

Even with all the warnings, with all their auras broken, with Gambol Shroud destroyed, and Wilt lost to the waves below, Adam still tries to kill her. 

So Blake grabs one half of her sword and stabs Adam in the chest, with Gambol Shroud’s other half protruding from the front as Yang catches up to them.

His blood runs down her hands, scalding hot against Argus’s cool air. With his last breath, Adam joins the waves below, and Blake wishes she could be anywhere but here.

* * *

On her 20th birthday, Blake is still trying to save the world.

Throughout her life, Blake has been to almost every region on Remnant. And as of tomorrow, she’ll be able to add the Land of Darkness to that list. With all the preparations completed, the only thing they need to do before tomorrow’s departure is rest.

Blake leans against the balcony and watches the streets below. A group of friends laugh at an unheard joke, their voices carrying down the street. A couple holds their child’s hand, lifting and swinging her as she squeals with joy. A lone woman at the entrance of their hotel looks around anxiously, holding a bouquet of red roses.

Even with Salem’s presence known to the world, with relics, maidens, and magic now common knowledge, life still goes on. Slightly melancholic, Blake thinks of her mission tomorrow. She knows that the chances of her never returning home, of never seeing her parents, Ilia, or Sun again are great. But they’re so close to finally stopping Salem for good, and she knows that they need to try.

Deep in thought, Blake startles at the arms surrounding her before quickly leaning into them when she realizes Yang’s hugging her.

“I thought you put your emo days behind you?” Yang nuzzles against her shoulder.

“Not entirely,” Blake breathes out.

The two stare down as they hear a happy cry, the woman with roses embraced by her girlfriend as the two swing around in each other’s arms.

Yang leans over and pecks Blake on the cheek, luring Blake’s attention back to her.

“I know you’ve heard this a bunch already, but I just wanted to say happy birthday again.”

Yang’s gaze makes Blake think of how this might be her last peaceful moment in a long time. The feeling of despair starts to seep in like a haze, and Blake lets out a quiet laugh, anything to try and clear her thoughts.

“You know, today’s my second champagne birthday.”

“Second? But wouldn’t yours have been last year” Yang asks.

“On Menagerie – or with most faunus really – a champagne birthday happens every 10 years, instead of the day matching with your birthdate. There’s a whole thing where we get symbols painted on our skin, and each champagne birthday has an associated gift with it,” Looking over, Blake sees Yang listening attentively, her eyes glued to her. “It’s really just another way to make a birthday special, but I would love to share one with you guys one day.”

The cool metal from Yang’s prosthetic counters with the warmth from her left hand, but the two hold Blake’s cheeks, and she melts into the touch, clasping one of Yang’s hands with her own.

“I know we can’t really do anything for this birthday. And your next champagne birthday isn’t gonna happen until you’re 30. But I promise, when all of this is over, that we’re gonna make up for these past two years,” Yang leans closer, and her nose brushes with Blake’s. “Not just me, but Ruby, Weiss, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Oscar, Qrow. You’re parents! And Sun, and Ilia, and anyone else you can think of!”

Blake’s eyesight blurs and she feels the tears running down her face, letting out a small chortle. Feeling Yang’s warmth, her desire to protect and to be there for her loved ones, makes her chest feel tight. Leaning forward to close the small gap between them, their lips touch.

For a small moment, it’s just the two of them. No overwhelming threat from an immortal witch, no worries of how the White Fang can further push for Faunus rights, no fear of whoever will try to fill the power void that Salem will leave when she’s gone. Just the love between two young women who found comfort with each other.

Someone clears their throat from within the hotel room, causing Blake and Yang to push apart from each other, self-conscious from the interruption.

“Sorry, you guys didn’t answer when we knocked,” Ruby rubs the back of her neck, embarrassed by the display of love.

“I know you lovebirds are busy, but I’m sure Yang can share the birthday girl with the rest of us for a bit,” Weiss teases, a soft smile on her face.

Yang stills has a dopey smile on her face, but she grabs Blake’s hand and the two follow Weiss and Ruby down to the lobby.

It’s Blake’s 20th birthday and her second champagne birthday, but even with the lack of ceremonial paint, Blake loves it all the same.

**Author's Note:**

> Is this accurate with RWBY's timeline? Probably not.
> 
> This started off so happy but it got kinda depressing near the end. But anyway, this fic is all about loving Blake Belladonna! She deserves all the happiness she can get.


End file.
